1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing material cartridge and a printing material supply system including the printing material cartridge and a printing apparatus.
2. Related Art
Some recent printing material cartridges have a circuit (circuit element), such as a memory device for storing information about a printing material (for example, remaining amount of ink). See JP-A-2003-011390, JP-A-2007-230249, and JP-A-2005-144723, for example. Upon attachment of the printing material cartridge to a printing apparatus, a plurality of terminals on the printing material cartridge adapted to contact with a plurality of apparatus-side terminals of the printing apparatus. This electrically connects the circuitry of the printing apparatus with the circuitry of the printing material cartridge. It is needed to attach the printing material cartridge in an adequately correct orientation or alignment to the printing apparatus. Especially with recent size reduction of the individual terminals, there is an increased possibility of failed or insufficient connection between the plurality of terminals of the printing material cartridge and those of the printing apparatus, due to inadequate orientation or alignment of the printing material cartridge.
In the course of attachment of the printing material cartridge, there is a possibility that an undesired high voltage is applied to the circuitry on the printing material cartridge. Application of the undesired high voltage to the circuitry on the printing material cartridge may cause a failure in the circuitry on the printing material cartridge.
There is desired a technique for enabling the printing material cartridge to be attached in an adequately correct orientation or alignment and for reducing the possibility of circuitry failure by application of an undesired high voltage to the circuitry of the printing material cartridge.
The problems discussed above are not characteristic of the printing material cartridge, but may be commonly found in various liquid containers or cartridges and various liquid ejection devices, other than the printing material cartridge.